Wed, 21 Sep 2022 10:14:37 CDT
By Kirsten Hollansworth
Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center is set to host three workshops designed to teach participants about the Homemade Food Freedom Act.
“Producing food for others is a big responsibility,” said workshop instructor Ravi Jadeja, FAPC quality and food safety specialist. “This workshop will help those interested understand the requirements of safely producing food and drink products for sale under this new law.”
The first of the three Homemade Food Freedom Act Workshop will take place on Sept. 28 at FAPC in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry on the OSU Stillwater campus. The next workshop is slated for Oct. 19 at the Red River Technology Center, 3300 W. Bois D’Arc Ave., in Duncan. The final workshop will take place on Nov. 30 at the Edmond Conference Center, 2833 Conference Dr., in Edmond.
The Homemade Food Freedom Act allows a broad range of homemade food products to be sold out of the home without health department licensing. Under the law, the annual sale of products cannot exceed $75,000 in gross sales and requires a food safety training to sell certain types of food. This workshop fulfills the requirement and provides additional tools to help producers provide a safe product to consumers while staying within the law guidelines.
Open to the public, each training will focus on explaining the law, what foods are and are not allowed, labeling, allergen management, good manufacturing practices, liabilities and legalities, food safety, and pH and water activity.
Renee Albers-Nelson, FAPC milling and baking specialist, is one of the expert speakers the participants will learn from during the workshops.
“I enjoy communicating the history of food safety to new food entrepreneurs as the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world,” Albers-Nelson said. “Since our food supply is well maintained, we have forgotten why we have or need food safety procedures.”
The full-day training session is set from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $35.00 per participant and lunch will be provided. Registration is limited to 25 participants.
For more information and registration, contact Karen Smith, workshop coordinator, at karenl.smith@okstate.edu or call 405-744-6277 with your complete name, address, phone number and email address.
FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop and deliver technical and business information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.
